Thresher and separator.



J. M. SWBNSON.'

THRESHER AND SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1908.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

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THRESHBR AND SEPARATOR. l APPLICATION FILED Nov. 1e, 190e.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

' WJTJVESSES.'

J. M. SWENSON.

THRESHER AND SBPARATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 1e, 190e.

953,068. Patented Mar.29, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: JJYVENTOR.

J. M. SWENSUN.

THRBSHER AND SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16,1908.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A UNITED y sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHN M. SWENSON, 0F WHITE ROCK, SOUTH DAKOTA..V

THRESHER AND SEPABATOR.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN M. lSwENsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVhite Rock, in t-he county of Roberts and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Thresher and Separator, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to machines which usually combine means for both threshing and .separating grain, but which are most often called separators and for shortness I will also in this specification make use of said term.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of my complete machine includ-Y ing a portion of an engine that drives and operates it; l and a wagon hauling away grain. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. -1 with the engine more fully shown and the side of the separator frame removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the combined shock gatherer, thresher and separator. Fig. 4. is a right hand side elevation of Fig. 1, with some. parts omitted. Fig. 5 is a detail top view of the lower front parts of the machine. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 0 0 of Fig. 5 with a portion ofthe bottom of the main truck added. Fig. 7 is a section on line m-:v of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a section on line e-c of Fig.` 2 looking downward. and forward into the machine. Fig. 9. is a sectional detail view on the line a/-a of Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a slightly perspective detail interior face view of the rear wall of the separating tower and with most of its sieve broken away to expose mechanism `behind it. also the shaft and eccentrics loperating said mechanism are shown. Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross section on the line b-b of Fig. 10 with the sieve 7 0 in place. Fig. 12 is a detail side-view of either one of the two eccentrics and its' yoke in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on thel line (iL-rl of Fig. 2. Fig. 14 is a cross section of the'band cutter shaft with some adjacent parts..

Referring to the drawings hy'reference numerals, the main frame or truck 1 of the machine has its rear end supported by two traction wheels 2 and .its front end by two steering wheels 3 turning on the ends of a supporting axle 4.

()n the rear end of the truck is mounted a motor which in the present instance consists of a steam engine. having boiler 5, pitman 6, crank shaft7 and two fly wheels 8 and 9, of

Specification of Letters Patent. Application iled November 16, 1908. Serial No. 462,762.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

which the latter is fixed on the shaft. The

iiy wheel 8 serves as a drive pulley for the main belt 10'by which the threshing and separating mechanisms are operated. Said wheel is therefore loose on the crank shaft and only connected to it by a clutch 11 controlled by a hand lever 12 so that the separator may be thrown in and out of action 'whilethe engine'is running and moving the machine on the Ground. The latter motion is transmitted from the crank shaft to one of the traction wheels by a train of gear wheels mounted on the boiler andl comprising a large gear 13 fixed on the tractionwheel., the shaft 14 in bearino's 15, the gears 16 and 17 fixed on said shaft and meshing onewith the gear 13 and the other with one of two idler gears 18, of which the upper one is driven by a pinion 19. The latter is connected with a clutch 20, `which may be thrown into engagement with the fly wheel 9 by a lever 21 any time that. the machine is to move on the ground either with or without the separator in operation.

The front axle is pivotally connected at its middle to the bolster 22 of the front end of the truck. From said axle extends rearwardly an arm 23 (see Fig. 5), whose rear end is guided in a segmental tube 24 secured up under the truck (as shown in Fig. G) and provided with a slot 25 for the arm to swing in, while the end of the arm is formed with ahead 26 adapted to resist backward and forward motion of the arm and the axle.

To the front side of the axle is hinged at 27' a platform 28, whose forward edge is providcdwith a series of tines making u a fork 29, by which the grain shocks stan( ing on the field are picked up, as shown at 30 in Fig. 1. Projecting forwardly oversaidplatform at a suitable elevation above it, is a feeding device for the threshing cylinder 31. Said feeding device comprises a frame 32, rollers and 33"' mounted therein and au endless carrier apron 34 passed over the rollers and operated by the. rear roller 33x. lVhen the machine is in operation two men are stationed on the platform 2S, one at each side of the feeder and b v pitch-forks pick up the sheaves from the fork 29 and throw them upon the feeder 31, which moves them under certain band cutters and a retarder Secured upon the base portion is the chest` shaped separator frame 35, at the front corners of which are secured two uprights 36,.

otally secured at 44 to the uprights, and said frame corners 42 are connected by either rods or cables 40X to the front corners of the fork platform 28. 40 and 4()X thus act as a single cable at each corner of the fork platform, the frame 43 simply acting as a beam to hold the cables in the desired position. Upon the other wndlass 39, are wound two cables 45, which serve to steer the front wheels of the machine, and are therefore guided' by sheaves 46w-47-48 (see Fig. 2) and connected at 49 to the steering arm 23. In the operation of the machine a man is stationed at 50 upon the front end of the deck of the separator frame to manipulate the cranks 51 of said windlasses.

Upon the rear portion of the separator frame 35 is erected a forwardly inclined tower 52, which at its front and rear sides, 52 and 52b respectively, is provided with doors 53 hinged at 54 and held closed by latches 55; said doors giving access to the mechanism inside the tower in building and repairing the same. To the arched top 52X of the said tower is connected the upper broadened end 56 of the blower tube 57 through which passes to the tower a strong current of airl from a rotary blower 58, which,as shown in Fig. 8, is located almost directly in rear of the threshing cylinder 31, so as to blow into the to of the tower the entire mixed products o grain, straw, chaff etc. emanating from the rear of the cylinder and its concave 31". The' separating of the straw, grain, &c. then commences and is carried on and completed by the following mechanisms. In the separator frame is journaled a transverse shaft 59, which has xed at one end a pulley 60 turned by the main belt 10, and at the other end are fixed in opposite directions two eccentrics 61 (as bestvshown in Fig. l10), each of which operates a yoke 62 having an upwardly ext-ended arm 63 and a shorter horizontal arm or lug 64 (best shown in Fig. 12). To each yoke arm 63 is pivoted at 65 a rocker rod ,66 having pivotal engagement at 67 with a series of rocker arms 68, which are formed at the adjacent ends of two sets of rock shafts 69 and 69X (see Fig. 10), which .are journaled in the side timbers 52c of the tower and extend between the` front wall 52a thereof and an inclined sieve 70 (see Figs. 10 and 11). Said sieve is corr/ligated or formed with vertical grooves and in the bottom of each groove are the sieve apertures 71, while in the intervening ridges are provided vertical slots 72 for vertically vibrating arms 73 extending from the rock shafts. To prevent the straw from being of this wing is regulated by a rocker arm 7 6' fixed at one end of the shaft outside the tower and provided with a thumb-screw 77, which with its point engages alternately either one of several indentures 78 of a plate 79 fixed on the tower. In Fig. 2 is indicated in dotted lines how the arms 73 of the twjo sets of shafts vibrate up and down alternately and thereby let down the straw gradually while beating andshaking the grain out of it. The heavy grain then passes through the sieve 70 and down along the wall 52 of the tower and drops upon a horizontal sieve 80, while the chaff and the light grain and weed seeds drop upon the sieve 80x and the straw passes down as arrow 81 in Fig. 2 upon the floor 82 in front of the boiler door so as to be used for fuel in the boiler furnace. If some or all of it is not so used, the door 83, which is hinged at its bottom end 84, is closed into its opening 85 and the straw is allowed to pass through an opening notl shown) in the floor or base 1 and fa ls upon the ground where it may be either burned or gathered up by rakes or any other suitable machinery. The upper sieve 80x has one end supported by two links 86, and the other end by a link 87 suspended from the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever 88, Awhich is pivoted at 89 (see Fig. 4) to theframe work and has its downward arm provided with a weight 90. This sieve or chaifer is agitated longitudinally by a rod 91 connecting it with one of the yoke arms 64. The lower sieve 80, has one' end ,slidingly supported on a rod 92 (see Fig. 7) and is otherwise supported by a link 93 from the horizontal arm 94 of the short rock-shaft 95, journaled in the frame work and having a depending arm 96 with a weight 97 on it. This sieve is agitated transversely by a link 98 and a horizontally swinging bell-crank lever 99, whose outer arm is operated by a rod 100 and one of the arms 64 of the eccentric yokes. joint to permit both the lever to swing hoi-1- zontally and the sieve vertically, it being' understood that when the machine goes up or down an incline the weights and 97 cause the sieves 80 and 80X to fall and rise so as to maintain horizontal positions. Be tween the last mentioned sieves is fixed to The joint 101 in Fig. 7 is a ball` From the above description of the lower` portion of the separator proper it will be understood that when the machine is in op eration the fan 104 furnishes a current of air which blows the chaff into the straw passing down at arrow 81 and thus sends it out of the separator, while the grain that drops through the upper sieve 80", slides down the inclined guide 103 and is then, together with the grain dropping throu h the sieve 70 of the tower, spread along t e lower sievey 80, through which it drops into a magazine 107 carried underneath the truck 1 and may hold twenty-five or more bushels, or enough for a wagon load. When the magazine is full or nearly full a wagon is` driven up tothe side of the machine and loaded with grain from the magazine. This is done by an elevator comprisin a vertically disposedelevator frame 108, aving an endless bucket chain 109 (see Fig. 2) communicating with one'end of a pit 110 of the magazine, where it is operated by a wheel 111 lixed on a shaft 112 having a sprocket 113 driven by a link-belt 114Iand a smaller sprocket 115 placed loosely on the eccentric shaft 59 (see Figs. 4 and 10). On said shaft is slidingly keyed a clutch memberl 116,

`which by a hand-lever 117 is thrown into clutching contact with the sprocket 115,

` whenever the elevator is to be used, and out of clutchin contact when it is to be stopped.

The sha t 112 is also provided with spiral wings 118 work-ing in the pit to move the grain to the elevator buckets, as shown in Fig. 13; and the upper end of the elevator frame has a spout 120 through which the elevated grain is thrown from the buckets into the hopper 121 of a chute 122 by which it is conveyed into a wagon placed as 123 in Fig. 1. Upon said hopper is mounted an automatic grain weighing device 121".

In front of the threshing cylinder is journaled a shaft 124 with spiders 125 fixed on it and' serving to retard 'the straw and grain fed to the cylinder and thereby cause it to be looscnedand separated so as not to clog the cylinder. Said shaft is turned slowly by a sprocket 126 fixed on it and a link-belt127 and another sprocket 128 which is iixed on one cn'd of a multiple crank shaft 129; on the latter -is fixed a pulley 130 driven by a belt 131 from a pulley 132 fixed on the shaft 133 of the cylinder 31, and the latter is turned by its fixed -pulley 134 and the main belt 10 from the engine. The roller 33X` of the feeder apron is rotated by a gear wheel 135 Xed on it and driven by another gear wheel 136 fixed on the shaft of the retarder.

further sa The band cutting device shown enlarged blades work' through slits 158 of a shieldv 159 (see Fig. 14) so that the grain and straw cannot raise with the cutters.

On one end of the retarder shaft 1.24 is fixed a sprocket 141 driving a link belt 142 and thereby a sprocket 143 fixed on a short shaft 144, and on the latter is ixed a wheel 145 (see Fig. 2) operating an endless elevator apron 146 havingbuckets or cleats 147 and movin in an inclined hollow frame 148, which, as s own in Fig. 7, has its lower end in communication with a tube 149 in which the apron rotates 'a spiral-winged shaft 150, which through the open upper side of the tube (see Fig. 2) receives all the ears and arts of ears not fully threshed and there ore dropping from the end of the lower sieve 80, and 'moves them into said elevator, which conveys themrto the threshing cylinder to be threshed over again, delivering same through itsdischarge spout 151.

The main blower or fan 58 (see Fig. 8) has on its shaft 152 fixed a miter gear 153, which is driven by a miter ear 154 fixed on a shaft 155 having a pul ey 156 driven by the main belt 10.

Having thus described each sub-mechanism and its operation aswell as the combined structure and its operation, I will separator 1s intended for use as a stationary Vmachine the fork 29, platform 28 and the raising and lowering means for same may be omitted in building the machine; andif the machine isA to be operated by a belt from a motor mounted on some other truck than the one carrying my separator, then I'provide the latter with an additional pair of supporting wheels, as indicated by dotted lines 157 in Fig. 4 and leave out my twowheeled engine and boiler.

In furtherv describing the feeding device of the thresher it will be observed that between the lower edges of the sidelrails 32 that whenever the thresher andy in which the ends of the rollers 33 and 33x returned upon the upper run and be carried again toward the retarder 125 andV the threshing cylinder. s

In Fig. 2, 163 designates a wind-guide at the lower side of the wind outlet from the blower or fan; by tilting said guide up or Vdown with its outer edge the wind is turned more or less upward, and also given more orless density, as may be required for different kinds of grains threshed and Vseparated.

What I claim is 1. In a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, a vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two series of rock-shafts extending horizontallyv one shaft above the other between the sieve and the said wall and provided with tines extending through the slots inthe sieve, a rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods vin alternate order, and means for introducing the threshed grain and straw into the top of said tower.

2. In a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, a

vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two

, series of rock-shafts extending horizontally rods pivoted one one shaft above the other between the sieve and the said wall and provided with tines extending through the slotsV in the sieve, a rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods in alternate order, and means for introducing the threshed grain Vand straw into the top of said tower, said means comprising a rotary fan arranged in rear of the threshing cylinder and having a tube extended upwardly and into the top of the tower.

3. In a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, a vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two

series of rock-shafts extending horizontally one shaft above the other between the Vsieve and the said wall and provided with tines. extending through the slots in the sieve, a, rocker arm at one end of each shaft, twov to therocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocatingsaidrods 4in alternate order, and means fol,` introducing the threshed grain and straw into the top of said tower, said means comprisin a rotary fan arranged in rear of the threshing cylinder and having 'a tube ex-- tended upwardl7 and into the :top of the tower, `and an a justable guide inthe top of the tower for giving the `enterin straw and grain the vdesired `direction ownwardlyl upon the tines.-

4; In a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, a

vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel tothe lower inclined wall of the tower, two series of rock-shafts extending horizontally one shaft above the other between the sieve and the said wall and provided with tines extending through the slots in the sieve, a rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods in alternate order, and means for introducing the threshed grain and strawr into the top o f said tower, said sieve having vertically extending eorrugations forming grooves in which the sieve apertures are ,formed while the slots for the tines are formed in the ridges between the grooves.

5. In. a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, la vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two

series of rock-shafts extending horizontally one shaft above the other between the sieve and the said' wall and provided with tines extending through the slots in thel sieve, a

rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods in alternate order, and means for 4 introducing the threshed grain and straw into the top of said tower, said separator frame having adjacent to the ends of the lowest tines an openin to fall upon the groun and adjacent thereto a door opening with a door hin ed at its' lower end to serve as a guide to irect the straw in horizontal direction out of the separator frame whenso desired, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a gram'separator, .a frame, and a allowing the straw hollow inclined .tower mounted thereon, a. r

vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two series of rock-shafts extending horizontally one shaft above the other between the sieve and the said wall and 'provided with tines extending through the slots inthe sieve, a rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods in alternate order, introducing the threshed grain and straw into the top of said tower, an upper and a lower vibrated sieve arranged below the open "bottom end of the tower, and a fan adjacent thereto forcleaning the grain separated from the straw in the tower and dropping downward therefrom.

V7. In a grain separator, a frame, and a hollow inclined tower mounted thereon, a vertically slotted sieve substantially parallel to the lower inclined wall of the tower, two

series of rock-shafts extending horizontally and means for and the said wall and provided with tines extending through the slots in the sieve, a rocker arm at one end of each shaft, two rods pivoted one to the rocker arms of each series of shafts, and means for reciprocating said rods in alternate order, and means for introducing the threshed grain and straw into the top of said tower, an upper and a lower vibrated sieve arranged below the o en bottom end of the tower, and a fan adjacent thereto for cleaning the grain separated from the straw in the tower and dropping downward therefrom, a grain magazine below the lower sieve adapted to hold a wagon load of grain at a time, and an elevator arranged to deliver grain from the magazine into wagons laced near the separator, and a horizonta spiral-winged shaft in the base of the magazine for movin the grain into the elevator.

n testimony whereof I alix my signature, in presence of t'wo'witnesses.

JOHN M. SWENSON. Witnesses:

NEWELL N. POWELL, C. P. JOHNSON. 

